Seek And Ye Shall Find
by Sailor Coruscant
Summary: Lois and Clark are locked in a wardrobe, as the celebration of the social calendar takes place outside. Of course, things are not always what they seem, and Lois’ search for a story leads her to any number of startling discoveries…


_Author's Notes: This was written in response to the one-hour challenge: "Lois and Clark get locked in a closet during a party." I cheated a little here, making the cupboard a wardrobe, but still, I think I meet all the criteria of the challenge, well, 'cept for the one-hour-ness. I think it ended up taking something around two, spread over two nights. _

**Seek And Ye Shall Find**

Amid tailored suits of the finest quality and before a perfectly arranged and organised stand containing drawers of designer underwear, a dark haired woman in an evening gown frowned slightly before deciding to attack the shelves of shoes, trying to see if anything of importance was secreted away behind them (which could indeed have been possible considering how deep the shelves were, but was proving futile). After much searching in every possible hiding place in the giant wall-in wardrobe, she turned, thinking to go in search of the study now that she'd finished with the bedroom.   
However, a tall man was blocking her way. As she looked up, he lifted one eyebrow at her, frowning slightly. He was dressed in a tuxedo, and the appearance of a bow tie had meant that for once he was not wearing one of his glaringly ugly multicoloured things.   
"What are you up to, Lois?" At the sound of his deep voice, Lois Lane felt a brief twinge of guilt at her behaviour, but she crushed it ruthlessly, thinking for a moment that long-term exposure to the Farmboy was corrupting her morals.   
"I was just looking for a story, Clark. What else?" She gave a shrug and tried to push past her partner, wishing that he hadn't caught her snooping through the wardrobe. Anywhere but here.   
He sighed in that way that most infuriated her. "Lois, you're here for a party, remember? Having fun, being social, interacting with your fellow man? Not going through his closet." He looked around as is just noticing where they were.   
Lois found herself close to sighing. Didn't Clark realise where they were? For one night only they had access to Lex Luthor's penthouse as he hosted the party of the "social calendar" and all her partner could think about was drinking bubbly and gossiping with the bosomy blondes who frequented such events? Had he no reporter's instincts at all? This was her chance to get the scoop of the century on the reclusive World's third-richest man, and Lois did not intend to waste it. Somewhere here, or maybe in his study, she would find the answers she was seeking to questions she hadn't yet thought to ask.   
After all, she'd read Lex's autobiography, but in truth it was a dry story and she knew that somewhere under the surface there was more to this billionaire than he was letting on. She just had to figure out what. And why was Clark just standing there? The least he could do was get out of her way so she could get on with her job.   
"Well, are you going to help or not?" Lois demanded, stomping one foot lightly.   
"What would have done if I was someone else?" Clark said in a soft tone of voice, still not moving from the doorway that he was so casually blocking.   
"I would have lied about it, of course", Lois put on a suitably blonde expression and started gushing, "I got lost on the way to the bathroom, and then I found myself here and I thought that-" She was suddenly stopped by a hand on her mouth, as Clark pushed her back into the wardrobe and pulled the door shut behind them, a faraway look in his eyes. Anger roaring in her ears, Lois completely failed to hear the tiny click as the lock on the wardrobe door fulfilled its design specifications.   
She started to make some small noise in protest when Clark looked down at her and mouthed "someone's outside" in explanation. Eyes widening, Lois stepped away from him, even as Clark put his ear to the dor to better hear what was going on outside. Lois instead decided to silently give the wardrobe another search, studiously ignoring her partner. After all, if she got to thinking about him he'd just infuriate her again.   
He did that a lot, now that she thought about it. Every time she turned around, Clark was doing something that was too nice or too innocent for his choice of profession. Investigative reporters were not nice people. They spoke the truth in their stories, but they had to be ruthless in order to find that truth. Clark's naïve approach of trusting everyone he met would never lead him to success in Metropolis, she was sure of that.   
Finally, after a few more moments of avoiding searching through Lex's underwear drawer, Clark stepped away from the door and smiled at her. "They're gone", he said, brown eyes twinkling with some hidden merriment, "apparently one of the couples was looking for a place to get better acquainted, but someone else saw fit to warn them that Lex Luthor's bed was probably not the best place to make out, though it would make a great story for those who like to brag."   
Lois rolled her eyes at him. "So, let me out of here, Farmboy."   
Clark smiled obligingly, tilting his head to her as he reached out and turned the ornate handle on the door. 'Only a billionaire would put handles like that on the inside door to his giant walk-in wardrobe', she found herself thinking, before noticing the strange expression that was clouding Clark's expression.   
"What's wrong? Don't tell me you locked the door by accident?" she snapped, stepping towards him with a gentle smile on her face that disappeared the instant she saw Clark's crestfallen expression.. "You didn't?"   
"Umm, oops?" Blushing from head to toe, Clark did look the absolute picture of supreme embarrassment as he shifted his weight nervously from one foot to the other slightly.   
Lois pushed him out of the way, walking over to examine the keyhole as she reached into her purse for her ever-present lock picks. Lois withdrew an empty hand with murder in her eyes as she saw the lack of keyhole there.   
"I guess they never thought anyone would be locked in here", Clark said apologetically.   
"I'm going to kill you once we get out of this." It was a pure statement of fact.   
"I know." At least he was smart enough to realise that his death was near.   
  
Lois sat on the floor, somewhat delicately given the nature of her dress, and sighed. After a moment's hesitation, Clark joined her, still maintaining a wary distance.   
"So", he said finally, "what do we do now?"   
Lois shook her head disparagingly. "Either we make a fuss until someone hears us and comes to our rescue, or we wait until Lex needs a change of clothes."   
"And which do you recommend?" For some reason, Clark decided to flash Lois one of those smiles of his that usually made her want to smile back.   
"I think-", Lois began, but she stopped as she saw that faraway look from earlier cross Clark's face. She turned, pressing her ear to the door.   
"We shall act soon to remove Superman from his pedestal." A deep male voice with sinister overtones was speaking, and Lois had to restrain herself from gasping aloud as she realised who it belonged to.   
"Lex", she mouthed to Clark, who nodded at her, worry evident on his face.   
"The Kryptonite should arrive in metropolis in a few days, so we will be able to implement Phase Two then." Lois didn't recognise this voice, but, gazing at Clark she saw a momentary flash of something – fear, perhaps? – flash across his face. Deep brown eyes met her gaze and held it, and Lois stifled an involuntary movement towards him.   
A few more platitudes were exchanged as Lex started to gripe about how some woman had deliberately spilt her drink on him in the hopes of being the one to help the billionaire change his shirt. Suddenly a flash of panic coursed through Lois, as she realised that Lex was no doubt about to come into the wardrobe, and he would find out that she and Clark had overheard his plans for Superman.   
As Lois started to adjust her perceptions of Luthor, she suddenly realised that her life was most likely in danger. She had gotten a hint of the ruthlessness of Lex Luthor, the beginning of a Pullitzer-winning story, if Lois only lived long enough to investigate him.   
She heard a few soft footsteps then suddenly her world spun around her and she found herself once again being held by Clark, with one hand muffling her protests, only this time they were lying on their backs up against the ceiling! The wardrobe door opened and Luthor walked in, discarding one shirt in a laundry chute and choosing another from the rack. Lois held her breath, willing herself to remain perfectly still and ignoring her brain's shrill denials of what was taking place. The billionaire never looked up, and stepped out of the wardrobe without ever suspecting the presence of the two reporters levitating above his head.   
As the door closed behind Luthor, Lois felt Clark tense and blow a gentle stream of air towards it, just enough so that the lock didn't catch this time. When he was certain that there was no one in the outer room, Clark slowly moved them down and planted Lois rather carefully on her feet. It was probably just as well; Lois was feeling slightly light-headed at that moment.   
Clark held her gently, his hands on her arms as if wondering whether he was allowed to step closer and actually embrace his shocked partner. After a long moment, Lois forced herself to speak.   
"I guess I don't need to worry about warning Superman about the Kryptonite delivery", she murmured. After a moment's thought, Lois stepped away from him and sat back down on the floor.   
"I guess not", Clark said, taking off his glasses to rub thoughtfully at the bridge of his nose. Lois was further amazed by the transformation that occurred when she saw her partner without his glasses. Had she really never looked at the Farmboy before? He put the glasses back on almost regretfully. "You know, I didn't mean for you to find out like this."   
"I know", Lois pushed herself up the wall, finding her anger and using it to give her the strength to stand and face the fact that she was not quite as good at investigating people as she thought she was. Clark probably would have told her some time, but just to show him that she didn't approve of being lied to for months, she hit him, hard, in the face.   
He had the grace to wince, though she was fully aware that it didn't actually hurt him. Then she clutched her hand to her chest and whimpered softly at the pain that flooded through her.   
"Here", Clark took her hand in his and stared over the top of his glasses at it for a moment, as he started massaging it gently. Soft warmth spread through her hand, easing the pain she felt, though it could not be removed completely. "So, do you hate me for lying to you?"   
Did she hate him for lying to her? She probably should, but somehow it was hard to refuse the sorrow in those beautiful eyes of his. "I'm angry, Clark, but in case you haven't noticed, we have an evil billionaire to bring down, and I am not letting a fight with my partner to get in the way of the story." Lois decided then that for the next few weeks she was going to take advantage of this and emotionally blackmail him into using his 'abilities' to fulfil her every whim. Plus he'd be an asset on cracking the Luthor story, of that she was certain.   
And to top it all off, she wouldn't have to worry anymore about thinking about the Farmboy in the same way as she thought of Superman. She didn't feel so bad about finding Clark so attractive now that she realised that he was the man behind the Superman. And, truth be told, she'd only allowed herself to be attracted to Superman because there was no danger of him breaking her heart. Clark, on the other hand, had been dangerous.   
Clark was busy staring at his shoes and scuffing them on Luthor's carpet as she did her musing, and so lost in his shock and misery was he that this time he failed to hear as someone walked into the bedroom, this time calling their names. Lois, thinking quickly and deciding to take advantage of the situation, threw herself bodily at Clark, planting her lips on his. Clark responded almost instinctively, his arms coming around her to hold Lois close to him, but unfortunately he was too dazed by the intensity of the kiss to keep his balance after she knocked him sideways.   
Lois and Clark crashed to the floor of the walk-in wardrobe, somehow missing the shelves and clothes, to lie there, Clark underneath Lois, gently exploring each other's mouths and many newly-awakened emotions.   
When Lois finally came up for breath, she looked up and grinned with a faint blush at Jimmy Olsen, the Daily Planet's young photographer, and Perry White, her boss. "Can you give us a few minutes?" Lois asked politely, "we're kinda in the middle of something here."   
Clark was in a state of shock, unable to do anything other than twitch occasionally. Perry closed the door over with a smile, and Lois turned back to her partner.   
After a moment of gazing at the helpless grin on Clark's face, Lois decided that sometimes words were unnecessary to tell a story, and so she kissed him again.


End file.
